NASBA Center For Public Trust 
Ethics Matters
October 2020
After the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep the world and change lives forever, we began to remind ourselves that, “We are all in this together.” This sentiment was true back in March 2020 and it still rings true nearly six months later. It is easy to forget that our neighbors, colleagues and friends may also be struggling to maintain normalcy in their day-to-day lives. More than ever, we cannot forget to lift up our communities and loved ones.
These days, students, staff, faculty and university administrators across the country are doing just that. From mixing and creating hand sanitizers in chemistry labs, transporting COVID-19 test swabs, collecting supplies, such as masks and gloves, to assisting with childcare and pet sitting, higher education students, staff and universities are making a difference across the country.
In a recent article, Hana El-Samad, an organizer of a volunteer consortium and the Kuo Family endowed professor and vice chair of the department of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California, San Francisco, discussed her group’s work – publishing scientific information on mask decontamination strategies. “We came together and did what scientists do best – read available literature, synthesize information, evaluate data and debate vigorously. Our goal is to better equip hospitals and healthcare personnel in these challenging times with concise, organized, data-backed information on this important issue.”
The NASBA Center for the Public Trust is grateful to work with universities and students across the country and hear about the wonderful things they are doing for their communities. During these trying times, it is even more gratifying to learn that those in education continue to make supporting one another a top priority.